This beginner to intermediate grasses, sedges and rushes course will provide you with an understanding of the importance of these species for conservation, ecology and recording. Grasses and grass-like plants form a key component of most plant communities yet are often see as notoriously difficult to identify. Accurate identification is also essential for successful site surveys and management and a botanist’s skill is often judged by their ability to ‘do’ grasses, sedges and rushes.
This course will include:
- Identification characters of grasses, sedges and rushes and how to separate similar looking genera/species.
- Distinguish the major groups of grasses, sedges and rushes and recognise the key characters of those you can’t identify.
- Use of a range of keys and other identification guides.
- Practical botanical skills outdoors.



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This course will cover the major differences between the three families Poaceae, Cyperaceae and Juncaceae, and enable you to identify the most common members of each. It will also provide you with an understanding of the importance of these species for conservation, ecology and recording.
The countryside around the Margam Discovery Centre offers a great range of habitats to explore and we will be exploring the grounds and a local field site.
The course will look at a range of features, with vegetative and floral characters, equipping you with the necessary knowledge and confidence to continue to develop your skills independently.
Classroom sessions will take place prior to excursions, enabling you to become familiar with the diagnostic features and terminology peculiar to these plants. Experience will be gained in using identification keys and other resources. As diagnostic characters are often small, the course will guide you in using hand lenses and microscopes confidently.
By the end of the course, you will no longer just see ‘grass’, but an interesting group of species with stories to tell about their ecology.
This course relates to FISC (Field Identification Skills Certificate) levels 2+. Click here to see more information about the BSBI FISC and the BSBI Botanical Skills Ladder.
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Be able to distinguish between Grasses (Poaceae), Sedges (Cyperaceae) and Rushes (Juncaceae), both vegetatively and floral characters.
- Distinguish the flowering and vegetative parts of a range of Grasses, Sedges and Rushes taxa and identify a range of common species to genus/species level using a botanical key.
- Recognise and name the major parts of grasses, sedges and rushes; with reference to how they can be used in practical botanical identification (naming of parts and botanical glossary).
- Utilise a standard flora (e.g. Stace 2020, Hubbard as revised or Wallace 2019), with an understanding of how to use this and other keys more effectively.
Who should attend? – General interest (amateur/professional), Local Authority ecologists, ecological consultants, conservation officers and staff within SNCOs and NGOs, students, environmental managers, land managers, wardens
and rangers.
Knowledge level – Beginner to Intermediate. Level descriptors can be found on the following webpage: Framework and Course Level Descriptors
Prior knowledge – No existing knowledge or experience is essential, but attendees will gain the most from this course if they have some prior understanding of the parts of a plants and associated terminology, have used a key (not necessarily botanical) and have some prior knowledge of UK flora. Field Identification Skills Certificate levels 2 and above
Please Note: Bookings will close if course capacity is reached. If we are unable to reach viable numbers for this course, we will inform you of the course cancellation 4-5 weeks prior to the course run. Please see the ‘What’s Included’ section for information on accommodation and meals.
Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.
About the Tutor
Mark Duffell
Mark Duffell is an experienced botanist with a lifetime’s interest in plants. He currently splits his time between running Arvensis Ecology (conducting botanical surveys and teaching botanical identification to undergraduate and postgraduate University students, consultants and environmental organisations) and working as a Lecturer with MMU on their MSc in ‘Biological Recording and Ecological Monitoring’.
Example Timetable
Example Timetable
This timetable is subject to change and timings are provisional, but should give an outline of what to expect. There will be breaks during the day for refreshments, lunch, and dinner.
Friday (13:00-21:00)
- Introduction to all three families.
- Juncaceae: the structure and identification of rushes.
- Introduction to the Poaceae: the features of grasses
Saturday (09:30-21:00)
- Continuing Poaceae: the features of grasses and the terminology peculiar to this family; examination of common grasses around Margam Discovery Centre.
- Introduction to the use of keys to identify a range of Grasses.
- Viewing a range of plant material from different groups (e.g. Poa, Festuca, Agrostis etc.), working in small groups/individually.
- Looking at Cyperaceae: the features of grasses and the terminology peculiar to this family; as well as introducing keys to tackle this group.
Sunday (09:30-16:00)
- Continuing Cyperaceae.
- View a range of plant material from different groups (e.g. Carex and sedge allies etc.), working in small groups/individually
What's Included
The course has been carefully created by expert tutors and educators to help you continue to build and develop your knowledge and apply it within the field surrounded by like-minded individuals.
The course includes:
- Classroom learning covering the theory of the species
- Field excursions to apply new knowledge
- Expert tuition for which the Field Studies Council is renowned
- Clear objectives and progression
- Refreshments (tea and coffee)
You can rest assured that the absolute best content from an expert in environmental education will be provided. In choosing this course, you will be joining thousands of people who learn with us each year.
Accommodation and meal options
We would recommend when purchasing accommodation and/or travel you should take out your own insurance.
For courses runs at Field Studies Council Centres, there may be the option to book accommodation with your course. If accommodation is available, there will be two booking options:
- Non-Resident
- Resident (Shared Room)
If you choose a Non-Resident booking, this includes course tuition, refreshments (tea and coffee), and an evening meal on the Friday and Saturday night before the evening sessions. The course fee does not include breakfast or lunch, so please bring your own packed lunch for during the day.
If you choose a Resident (Shared Room) booking, this includes accommodation with a shared bedroom for two nights (Friday night and Saturday night) and meals throughout the course (starting with dinner on Friday night through to packed lunch on Sunday).
Please be aware that you are visiting a Field Centre that caters in the main for school parties; the accommodation is basic and dormitory style, but warm and comfortable. Please also note that bathrooms may be shared.
Bursaries and Subsidies
Student Discount
This course is eligible for a student discount. If you are a current student, please use discount code BioStudent20 at checkout for 20% off all Biodiversity courses.
Natural History Bursaries
There are a number of natural history bursaries available to help with the cost of your course. To find out if you and your chosen course are eligible, read more here.
Before You Attend
There will be a member of staff with first aid training and access to a first aid kit on site. If you have special medical or access requirements, please let us know as soon as possible so we can make any necessary adjustments.
What to Bring
- Stout walking shoes or boots
- Outdoor clothing suitable for all potential weather conditions
- Sandwich box, vacuum flask / drinks container
- Small rucksack or bag
- Field notebook and pencil
- Dissecting kit (scalpel and forceps) – if you have a set, although these should be available to borrow for the course.
- x10 or x20 hand lens if you possess one
Useful books and resources:
-
- Cope, T & Gray, A. Grasses of the British Isles: BSBI Handbook 13, 2009
- Fitter, R. et al. Grasses, Sedges, Rushes & Ferns of Britain & Northern Europe: Collins 1984.
- Hubbard, CE. Grasses (3rd ed): Penguin Books 1984
- Jermy, AC et al. Sedges of the British Isles: BSBI Handbook 1 (3rd ed.), 2007
- Poland, J. & Clement, E.J. The Vegetative Key to the British Flora. BSBI, 2010.
- Rose, F. Colour Identification Guide to the Grasses, Sedges, Rushes & Ferns of the British Isles and NW Europe: Viking, 1989
- Stace, C. New Flora of the British Isles (3rd ed), C.U.P. 2010
- Stace, C. Field Flora of the British Isles: C.U.P. 1999.
Opportunities to attend this course
-
Fri 04, July 2025 13:00 - Sun 06, July 2025 16:00
Please note: you will require your own transport for the field site visits. All residential rooms are shared. Daily course times Friday 13:00-21:00, Saturday 09:30-21:00, Sunday 09:30-16:00.
- Non-resident Booking- please arrive for 1 pm on the Friday for the first session. Evening meals are included.
- Resident (Shared Room) Booking- check in from 4 pm on Friday with shared accommodation Friday and Saturday night.
No current dates for this course? Click here to view all the upcoming Natural History courses.
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Progress Your Learning
This is a training course from the Field Studies Council, delivered by expert tutors with an approachable learning style. After attending this course, you may like to progress your learning with further relevant courses or branch out into other areas of natural history. The Field Studies Council offers both online and in-person courses, so you can choose the learning style that suits you best.
The course gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in a new subject and acquire novel skills. Our online portal gives you time to study at your own pace and fit the lessons around your own schedule.
If you have any questions about our courses please check our Frequently Asked Questions or email [email protected].
Group Bookings Made Easy
If you have a group of 10 or more individuals wanting to complete one of our courses, our team are available to discuss your options – from discounts to private team courses. Click here to find out more!
You can rest assured that the absolute best content from an expert in environmental education will be at your fingertips. In choosing a Field Studies Council course, you will be joining thousands of people who learn with us each year.